My Mom Tells Me

When I was about nine months old Mom started working on a genealogy book. It was about Dad's family and she tells me that it isn't very good. She wasn't that experienced then. She also tells me how she had to type letters to relatives asking and begging at times for information and old photographs. When she decided to put all that information into a family book, the old typewriter just wouldn't work. She rented an electric typewriter. I can't imagine producing a book on a typewriter, even an electric one.

Mom had a card table in the living room with the typewriter and paper on it, plus all her notes. Each morning she would cut strips of paper for my three year old brother to color and paste together in loops. She also photocopied the old family photographs for him to study. That would occupy him for a couple hours while she typed.

When I wasn't sleeping or playing in my crib, I was hungry. Mom would balance me on top of her feet, prop the bottle in my mouth and swing me back and forth on her feet while she typed. That's about like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. It seemed to work.

We grew up knowing her as Mom and somebody who went to cemeteries and talked to relatives. There were always books and family charts around the house. Relatives would come to visit or we would visit them. It was our life and I guess we didn't know anything different. Our friends couldn't name off relatives, but we knew their names and everything about them. When I was six years old we moved. I went to school and told my teacher and friends that we were migrating. Wonder where I got that word! Growing up genealogy was indeed interesting and fun.

Genealogy Kitchen Sink

Last week there was a gala at the local library. It was a chance for genealogist to participate in a show and tell. They called it the Genealogy Kitchen sink. That's about what it was. They brought everything imaginable.

I went to it with my Mom (the genealogist), my Aunt Cheri and my nine year old daughter. We had tables set up with things that might interest genealogist. Mom brought some new books, old documents, and family treasures. My aunt had two tables with displays on photo enhancement and manipulation. The highlight was my daughter who with the help of her grandmother had filled in her family album with names, dates, locations and photos. It ws given to her in December by the North Platte Genealogical Society members when she was Junior Hostess at the Christmas brunch. I think this is a great way to get young people involved in appreciating their heritage.

One of the members brought a display of photographs spanning generations. The family members returned to the same housses to have photographs taken many years later. That is a good way to prserve memories and also share at reunions.

The secretary of the genealogy society had an interesting desplay of photographs and documents she had purchase don eBay. They were all family members and from an estate sale. I can't imagine how shocked she was when she saw them for sale one eBay. Maybe we should all check eBay more often.

I enjoyed visiting with the genealogists, sharing in Mom's delight at the good turn out and also telling them about my blog. My Mom has a blog also...Genealogy Lines. Everybody check it out!

Have another great week searching or just lovin' the genealogist in your family!

The Genealogist and Cornhusker

Do you know what is is like growing up genealogy? That's where somebody in your family lives and breaths genealogy. They talk non-stop about genealogy. All they want to do is go to courthouses, libraries or cemeteries. That was my Mom. We grew up in Nebraska where the obsession was Cornhusker football for my Dad and genealogy for my Mom.

When my brother and I were in early grade school Mom decided to take us to a cemetery. It wasn't too far from home, but in the country here in Nebraska. Mom was working on a special project and it was summer...what a great family outing this would be. What she didn't realize was that my brother and I would find every bug in the cemetery. We actually did not want to go and so once the bugs started biting we threatened her that we would telll Dad that she had taken us to the cemetery and that's where the welts came from on our legs and arms. Dad never said a thing because he knew Mom's obsession.

My Dad passed away last year and there's a Cornhusker hellmet on his tombstone. Mom's side has a tree with "Genealogist" under it. Now Mom and I are in the same town and having fun together, doing the things mothers and daughters do. I have noticed though that she is tempting my nine year old daughter into genealogy....taking her to cemeteries, libraries and helping her with the family tree. It never seems to end.